# Damlataş Cave, Alanya > A small dripstone cave in central Alanya, at the foot of the castle rock and two minutes from the lower cable-car station. A visit takes 20–30 minutes. Entry is paid — about 225 TL for adults, going by unofficial 2026 figures, and by bank card only. It is open daily; mornings until about 10:00 are reportedly kept for asthma sessions, and tourists go in from roughly 10:00 until early evening. Inside it stays about 22 °C with near-total humidity all year. Web page: https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/damlatas-cave - City: [Alanya](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya), Turkey - YesGo score: 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 30 min - Entry: ≈ 225 TL, children less - With kids: Fine with kids - Adult ticket: ≈ 225 TL - Children: Less: ≈ 30 TL, free in some reports - Payment: Bank card only at the entrance — no cash - Hours: Daily; for tourists ≈ 10:00 to 18:00–19:00, winter until ≈ 17:30; mornings for asthma sessions - Inside: 22 °C and 95% humidity all year - Time needed: 20–30 minutes - Getting there: From the castle, cable car down to Damlataş station, then a 2–3 minute walk - Address: Damlataş Cad. 81, Saray, Alanya - Coordinates: 36.54233, 31.98822 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **1948** — a quarry blast for harbour stone accidentally opened the cave (source: Alanya Municipality (Alanya Belediyesi); Ministry of Culture and Tourism Culture Portal) - **22 °C** — and 95% humidity inside, summer and winter alike (source: Alanya Municipality (Alanya Belediyesi); Ministry of Culture and Tourism Culture Portal) - **Turkey’s first** — cave opened to tourists (source: Alanya Municipality (Alanya Belediyesi); Turkish Wikipedia) - **“Dripping stone”** — is what Damlataş means — water still drips from the stalactites (source: Alanya Municipality (Alanya Belediyesi); English Wikipedia) - **≈ 50 m** — entrance passage, up to 15 m high (source: Alanya Municipality (Alanya Belediyesi); Ministry of Culture and Tourism Culture Portal) - **≈ 2,500 m³** — of air in a chamber on two levels (source: Turkish, English and Russian Wikipedia) - **≈ 15,000 years** — for the stalactites and columns to form, by Turkish estimates (source: Turkish and Russian Wikipedia; Ministry of Culture and Tourism Culture Portal) - **21 days** — the traditional local asthma “course”, under a doctor’s supervision (source: Alanya Municipality (Alanya Belediyesi); Turkish Wikipedia) - **760 mm** — constant air pressure inside (source: Alanya Municipality (Alanya Belediyesi); Ministry of Culture and Tourism Culture Portal) - **West side** — of the castle peninsula, with the entrance facing the beach (source: Alanya Municipality (Alanya Belediyesi); English Wikipedia) ## Damlataş Cave entrance fee and opening hours Entry is paid right at the entrance. The municipality doesn’t publish an official fee online and Turkish prices change several times a year, so treat this as a guide: visitors in the summer and autumn of 2026 report **about 225 TL for adults**. Children pay less — about 30 TL in some sources, free in others. We mark the fee as verifying. Cash is not accepted — only bank cards — so bring one even if you’ve come straight from the beach. The 150 TL still quoted in many guides was the 2025 price, and 15–20 TL or less is far older. One English-language guide quotes 350–450 TL without a source; other 2026 figures don’t back that up. The cave is open **every day**. Mornings until about 10:00 are reportedly set aside for people on the asthma course, so plan your visit after that. Guides give slightly different closing times: around 18:00–19:00 from spring to autumn and about 17:30 in winter. Arrive at least half an hour before closing. > **Slippery steps and heavy air** Wet stairs lead down into the chamber, so wear shoes with grip — not flip-flops. The air is warm and very humid, and some people find it hard to breathe at first. With heart or lung problems or claustrophobia, peek in from the top or skip it. ## How to get to Damlataş Cave 1. Start at [Alanya Castle](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/alanya-castle): take the Teleferik cable car down from Ehmedek station at the top — about 5 minutes. 2. The lower Damlataş station is by the beach; walk towards the sea and the rock of the peninsula. 3. Two or three minutes along Damlataş Caddesi, the cave entrance faces the beach. 4. From the harbour or the [Red Tower](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/alanya-red-tower), walk round the base of the peninsula in about 20 minutes, or take a taxi. 5. Staying near Cleopatra Beach? Walk south along the sand to the rock — the cave is at the very end of the beach. ## Is Damlataş Cave worth visiting? Yes, if you’re already nearby — on [Cleopatra Beach](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/alanya-cleopatra-beach) or at the cable car. It’s half an hour, there’s no trip to make, the stalactites are dense and pretty, and on a hot day it’s a cool break from the sun. No, if you want a big cave with long passages. Damlataş is a single chamber you can see in 15–20 minutes. For scale, head out of town to [Dim Cave](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/dim-cave) instead. ## What is Damlataş Cave? The cave was found in **1948**, when workers were blasting rock on the west side of the castle peninsula for the new harbour. The explosion opened the entrance and revealed a chamber full of stalactites and stalagmites. Geologists studied it, it was protected, and it became the first cave in Turkey opened to visitors. Damlataş means “dripping stone”: water still drips from the stalactites, so the formations are still growing. A passage about 50 metres long and up to 15 metres high leads into a cylindrical chamber on two levels — and that is the whole cave. The real draw is the air. It stays around **22 °C** with 95% humidity and steady pressure all year, so it feels cool in August and warm in January. ## Does Damlataş Cave help with asthma? Locally it’s known as the “asthma cave”. Alanya Municipality describes a 21-day course, a few hours a day inside, under a doctor’s supervision. This is a local tradition, not proven medicine, and YesGo doesn’t recommend trying it without your own doctor. For a regular visitor it simply means the air feels unlike outside — warm, damp and still. Some people breathe more easily, others less so. If you feel uncomfortable, just walk out; the climb back is short. Clinics and spas advertising “Damlataş asthma treatment” have nothing to do with the cave itself. ## What to see inside - Curtains of thin stalactites hanging from the ceiling, lit from below — the classic photo. - Columns where a stalactite has grown into a stalagmite over thousands of years. - Drops of water on the stalactite tips that give the cave its name. - The view down to the lower level, which shows how high the ceiling goes. - Right outside: Cleopatra Beach and the castle rock rising above it. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Bank card for the entrance — no cash - [ ] Shoes with grip - [ ] Allowed 20–30 minutes - [ ] Arriving well before closing - [ ] No heart or breathing problems - [ ] Phone ready for low-light photos ## Damlataş vs Dim Cave | | Damlataş | Dim Cave | | --- | --- | --- | | Where | Town centre, by Cleopatra Beach | Out of town, in the Dim valley | | Size | One chamber on two levels | Much bigger, with a long walkway | | Time needed | 20–30 min | ≈ 1 h plus travel | | Getting there | On foot or by cable car | Taxi, car or tour | | Best for | A quick stop on the peninsula | A dedicated cave trip | Damlataş is a short stop on a walk round the peninsula. If you’ll see only one cave and want the wow factor, choose Dim. ## Alanya’s caves, beaches and water compared Every waterside and underground sight in Alanya rated by YesGo. - [Alanya Shipyard](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/alanya-shipyard) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Price being verified - [Damlataş Cave](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/damlatas-cave) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · ≈ 225 TL, children less - [Cleopatra Beach](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/alanya-cleopatra-beach) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free entry, sunbeds extra - [Dim Cave](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/dim-cave) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 300 TL, children 7–12 150 TL - [Dim River](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/dim-river) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free, you pay only for food - [Sapadere Canyon](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/sapadere-canyon) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ 225 TL, being verified ## The Alanya peninsula in a day Beach in the morning, the cool cave in the midday heat, the cable car up to the castle, then down on foot through the old town to the Red Tower. 1. [Cleopatra Beach](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/alanya-cleopatra-beach) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free entry, sunbeds extra 2. [Damlataş Cave](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/damlatas-cave) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · ≈ 225 TL, children less 3. [Alanya Castle](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/alanya-castle) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Walls free, İç Kale ≈ €12 4. [Alanya Old Town (Tophane)](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/alanya-old-town) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 5. [Red Tower](https://yesgo.io/turkey/alanya/alanya-red-tower) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Paid, price being verified > **Go in the midday heat** When the beach is at 35 °C, the cave is around 22. Midday is the best slot — between a swim and an evening ride up to the castle. ## Good to know Damlataş is also the name of the beach, the street and several hotels nearby. There is only one cave: the entrance is at the foot of the peninsula rock, at the south end of Cleopatra Beach. ## Tips - Pair the cave with Alanya Castle: the lower cable-car station is two minutes away. - Coming straight from the beach is fine, but put proper shoes on — flip-flops slide on the wet steps. - Turn the flash off: the lit stalactites look better in your phone’s night mode. - Don’t expect a big cave — the appeal is the density of the stalactites, not the size. - Want scale? Go to Dim Cave and keep Damlataş as a quick stop. ## Questions ### How much is the Damlataş Cave entrance fee? About 225 TL for adults, according to visitors in 2026; children pay less or nothing, as reports differ. There is no official price list online, so check at the entrance. ### What are Damlataş Cave opening hours? It is open daily. Mornings until about 10:00 are reportedly kept for asthma sessions; tourists go in from about 10:00 until 18:00–19:00, or about 17:30 in winter. Official hours aren’t published. ### Can I pay cash at Damlataş Cave? No — visitors consistently report that only bank cards are accepted at the entrance, so bring a card. ### How do I get to Damlataş Cave? From the castle, take the Teleferik down to Damlataş station and walk 2–3 minutes. From the harbour it’s about 20 minutes on foot or a short taxi ride. ### How long do you need at Damlataş Cave? 20–30 minutes including the queue at the entrance; the chamber itself takes 15–20 minutes, and a quick look is possible in ten. ### Is Damlataş Cave worth it? If you’re nearby, yes — half an hour and beautiful stalactites. Don’t travel across town for it: it is small. ### Does Damlataş Cave really help asthma? It’s a local tradition — a 21-day course under a doctor’s supervision — not proven medicine. Only try it with your own doctor’s advice. ### What is the temperature inside Damlataş Cave? About 22 °C with 95% humidity all year — cool in summer, warm in winter. ### Is Damlataş Cave suitable for kids? Yes, and children pay less. Hold small hands on the wet steps and leave the pushchair outside — there are stairs. ### Damlataş or Dim Cave — which is better? Dim Cave is much bigger and more impressive but out of town. Damlataş is a quick stop in the centre, right by the beach. ## How we checked History, size, climate and address are checked against Alanya Municipality and the Turkish Ministry of Culture’s Culture Portal; other facts against at least two sources. Neither the municipality nor the Culture Portal publishes a fee or hours as of 30.10.2026. The 225 TL fee and card-only payment come from Russian Wikipedia and visitor reviews on Yandex Maps from July to September 2026; reviews from 2025 give 150 TL. One English-language guide quotes 350–450 TL with no source, so we leave that figure out. Reports on the children’s fee differ — about 30 TL or free. Guides give hours from 9:00–18:00 to 10:00–19:00, and until 17:30 in winter; that mornings until 10:00 are kept for asthma sessions comes from English Wikipedia, the Kupi guide and visitor reviews. Fee and hours are therefore marked verifying. We found bus route numbers to the cave in a single review only, so we don’t give them. Sources disagree on carbon dioxide levels by a factor of dozens, so we give no figure. The age of the formations is worded differently across sources; we give the order of magnitude, about 15,000 years. The asthma benefit is presented as local tradition, not medical fact. ## Sources - Alanya Municipality (Alanya Belediyesi): Damlataş Mağarası — history, size, climate - Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye, Culture Portal: Damlataş Mağarası — address, climate, age of formations - Turkish, English and Russian Wikipedia: Damlataş Cave; Wikidata Q1158600 - Visitor reviews on Yandex Maps, 2025–2026 — ticket price and payment - Russian Wikipedia: Damlataş — fee and card-only payment - Wikivoyage: Alanya — hours and past prices - Tripster and Kupi: Damlataş Cave notes — seasonal hours and morning asthma sessions --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.